Improvement in harvesters



@einen titties stnt @Hire G. W. N. YOS'I, OF OORRY, PENNSYLVANIA, .ASSIGNOR TO OORRY MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 78,709, dated June `9, 1868..

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONOERN:

Be it known that I, G. W. N. Yos'r, of Corry, inthe county Aof Erie, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Narrow-Swath Harvester; vand I do. hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecifcation, in which-v Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of my improved harvester.

Figure 2 is a'longitudinal vertical section ofthe same, taken on'tlie plane of the line a: fr, fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate-corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to produce a harvester which can bevdrawn by one horse, and which can cut as much grain as can be bound by one man, who rides on the platform of themachine. One man for binding, one boy for driving, and one horse, will be all that is required to operate the machine, and the same will therefore be of great advantage vto small farmers, and, in fact, on all farmspas, with little power and with insignificant assistance, grain can be reaped by machinery, while, heretofore, much power and much assistance were necessary to keep a reaping-machine in operation.` Small farmers were therefore wholly unable to procure or to operatea reaping-machine, and thepbenefits .of the same were consequently only sha-red by the rich. But, also, enlarge farms it is often inconvenient to send a large number of men and animals, which might be other- Wise more profitably employed, with' the harvester, to keep the same in operation.

By the use of my improved reaping-machine all these inconveniences will be overcome, and every farmer will be able to buy and operate it.

The invention consists in the general arrangement-of the machine, which consists of a platform resting upon two wheels, and having two shafts yfor the guidance of one horse. To the front edge of the platform one of the shafts issecured, the other shaft being secured to the curved bar, forming the outer bearing for the axle of the driving-wheel. To the remaining portion of the front edge of theplatform is sccured'a number of fingers, in which the cutter-bar works in the ordinary or any suitable manner.l I

On the platform is arranged a seat for the binderwho binds the grain. To adapt the quantity of grain which is being cut to the faculties of the binder, one of thc shoes at theend of the nger-bar is adjustable, so that the width of the swath mowed can be easily adjusted..

A, in the drawing, represents the platform of my improved reap'ingmaol1ine.A The same is madeof-wood or metal,vas may be desired, of suitable shape, wide enough to allow the application of a cutter-bar, B, having the required length to the front edge, alongside of theishafts C O1, which project from the edge of the platform and curved bar forming thc outer bearing for the axle of the wheel D, as shown in fig. 1. The platform, A, rests upon two wheels D E. one being arranged onV each end, as shown. The driving-wheel D, which is behind the shaft C, as shown, is provided withv sit'ablc gearing von its body or on its axle, and thereby imparts motion to other gear-,wheels a a, which move thc-pitman Z1. Thelatt'cr imp-artsA the ordinary reciprocating motion to the cutter-bar B. The said cutter-bar is held and guided in fingers F F, which are fastened to the platform A, as shown.

GrGrVl are two shoes projecting from the platform, one at either end of the cutter-bar, so as to take in all the grain which stands in the required space. One of these shoes is removable, and can be adjusted on the plat form so as to malte the swath cut wider or narrower as may bc desired. In iig. 1, the shoe G, which is nearest to the shafts C, is represented as havingbeen adjusted, so as to be in place of the outer finger F', whereby a narrower swath is produced. Ifa wider swath would have to be cut, the shoe Gr would exchange places with the .finger F.

The grain cut by the har I3 is, by a suitable reel or otherwise, deposited upon the platform A, where it is at once bound into bundles ofthe required size.

To facilitate the binding, a seat, H, has been arranged upon the platform for the-binder to 'sit on, and a cushion, I, forhim to kneel on may also be' arranged on'the platform, as shown. i

Two bent'plates J J may' also be arranged forthe convenience of the binder upon the platform A, fo; the purpose of enabling the binder-'to raise the grain above the platform, to allow the' string to be passed easily around it. v v -Havi'ng described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The movable adjustable shoe G, when arranged sbstantially as described,.so as tovadjust the'width of the swath to the capacity ofthe binder, as set forth, l y

G. W. YOST,

Witnesses z WM.' F. McNAMAnA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

